


I Care

by Katybug1992



Series: Tumblr Prompts [34]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Hermione and Theo are twins, Pureblood Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: Hermione and Draco have been practically engaged since they were little, but the time to wed may be coming sooner than they thought.





	I Care

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by quotes from Gossip Girl.
> 
> I may continue this into a longer fic

Hermione sat, watching as the party carried on around her, the classroom full of laughter. Blaise had left her side a couple minutes ago, for the first time that night, trying to see if it would be possible for them to escape from the Slug Club Christmas party. She smiled as she noticed Daphne stealing Blaise away from his search, dancing with her boyfriend and laughing lightly. Hermione sighed sadly, before a hand appeared in front of her.

“Dance with me,” a voice prompted. Hermione looked up and met the eyes of Draco Malfoy, technically her betrothed but he seemed to not want anything resembling a relationship between them, so she acted the same. 

“What's the point, Draco? We're never gonna be them.” Hermione sighed, glancing over at Daphne and Blaise. She and Draco were explosive, they were fireworks. They were passion, but after the lights faded, they were back to square one, at each other’s throats and fighting, “You said so, remember? It's not for us.”

“Maybe,” Draco shrugged, pulling Hermione close to him, “but I wouldn't change us, not if it meant losing what we have.”

“Well, what do we have, Draco?” Hermione asked, her eyes sharp, “You tell me.”

“Tonight.” Draco smirked, beginning to sway them to the music, “So shut up, and dance with me.”

Hermione bit her tongue, but let him lead the dance, resting her head against his chest as he swayed them back and forth, letting his scent envelope her and listening to his heartbeat. She knew something had been bothering him since the summer. She also knew, due to over-hearing (maybe closer to eavesdropping on) her father and Lucius, that it had to do with the Dark Lord. Whatever it was that was bothering him was coming closer. He tried to keep it from her, to protect her from the reality that would be facing them. She knew he told Blaise and Theo that he had the mark, and they worked with him to try and keep her in the light, as much as possible for someone with the last name Nott. So she took in this moment, this one normal moment with her future husband, as if it would be her last with him. Closing her eyes, she willed the tears to stay at bay as they swayed.

It all came to a head when the Death Eaters got into the Castle and Dumbledore was dead. Hermione had pushed past her brother and Blaise, who tried desperately to keep her in the Common Room after she had figured out what Draco would be doing. She ran out of the room, frantically searching for the familiar blonde head. She flung the main doors open, picking up her speed when she saw Draco on the grounds, heading toward the wards as the Death Eaters in the Castle kept everyone else distracted, as was the plan.

“Draco! Stop!” Hermione pleaded, voice full of concern and pain, “Don't go, or if you have to leave, let me come with you.”

“I appreciate your concern.” Draco sneered, stopping nonetheless.

“No, you don't. You don't appreciate anything, but I don't care.” Hermione fired back, coming to stand in front of him, leveling him with a challenging, yet comforting, look, “Whatever you are going through, I want to be there for you.”

“We have talked about this.” Draco sighed, “You are not my girlfriend.”

“But I am me, and you are you.” Hermione insisted, “We're Draco and Hermione, Hermione and Draco. The worst thing you've ever done, the darkest thought you've ever had, I will stand by you through anything.”

“Why would you do that?” Draco’s eyebrows the only feature giving away his confusion.

“Because I love you.” Hermione replied simply, running a hand down the side of his face.

“Well, that's too bad.” Draco scoffed.

As Draco moved to apparate, Hermione desperately cried, “Draco, please! Don’t go back to that man, don’t do that to yourself!”

“Hermione, I couldn’t carry out my mission,” Draco muttered, “I have to face the punishment for that. I am not a coward.”

“I know that!” Hermione’s eyes were soft, “You said earlier that I am not your girlfriend. You’re right, I’m more than that. We’re arranged to be married. I’m your wife. Please, don’t shut me out. Don’t go back to that man who won’t think twice before killing you!”

“I'm Draco Malfoy!.” Draco sounded defeated as he turned away from Hermione once more, “...No one cares.”

“I do!” Hermione didn’t hold any of her emotion back, tears now streaming down her face as she desperately pleaded with him, “Don't you understand? I'll always be here, I don't want you going anywhere, I couldn't bear it. So whatever you wanna do to yourself, please don't do that to me. Please!”

“I don’t need my wife,” Draco spit the word out, not showing any remorse as Hermione flinched at the sound of it, “to tell me what to do!”

With that, Draco spun around and apparated as Hermione stood there, feeling frozen on spot.

“Come, child,” Snape seemed to appear out of nowhere, “let’s get you back to your common room. If you were spotted out here, you would be suspected of being part of the plot.”

“Thank you.” Hermione muttered as they reached the Common Room entrance

“For what?” Snape looked down at his star pupil.

“For saving Draco from having to kill.” Hermione replied before entered in room and going up to her room.

 

The rest of school was a blur and the students were soon on the train home. Word had somehow gotten out that Hermione had been on the grounds with Draco the night that Dumbledore was killed, so Potter and his friends made a stop by the compartment that Hermione was in.

“You knew what he was going to do!” Harry flung at Hermione, slamming the compartment door open and pointing his wand at her, “You knew and you did nothing!”

“I didn’t--” Hermione tried to defend herself, but Theo stood up immediately and pointed his wand at Harry.

“I would think twice before pointing your wand at my sister.” Theo growled out, stepping to block Hermione from view.

“She’s just as guilty as Malfoy!” Harry fired back, “Watch your back, Nott.”

Theo didn’t move from in front of her until the last of Potter’s friends left the compartment.   
When they moved to get off the the train, Theo was in front of her and Blaise behind, stepping off, Blaise and Theo remained in their positions while Daphne and Astoria moved to her sides. Hermione would have rolled her eyes at the over reaction to the threat had she not been drowning in guilt and hurt since that night. They came to a stop in front of Blaise’s mom, who was going to be collecting them from the platform.

“Come along,” she ushered them over to the apparition point, “we shouldn’t linger too long.”

She placed a comforting hand on Hermione’s shoulder before the group apparated to Malfoy Manor.

Upon landing, Hermione was immediately pulled into Narcissa’s arms and spotted Draco standing in the doorway, looking miserable. She couldn’t help but feel like he deserved it. She schooled her features as Draco walked over, kissing her hand in greeting.

“Can we take a walk?” he asked her, voice soft, wanting to keep this between them.

Hermione simply nodded, allowing Draco to slip her arm through his and lead them out toward the rose garden, Hermione’s favorite place in Malfoy Manor.

“What’s on your mind?” Hermione asked hesitantly, knowing something was bothering Draco but weary after their last encounter.

“I wanted to apologize for how I treated you that night.” Draco replied, “You were concerned for my safety and I took my anxiety and anger at myself out on you.”

“All I wanted to do is just be there for you but that night, when you called me your wife, you made it sound like the ugliest word in the world.” Hermione responded, looking up at Draco, “I know that what we have, we know the end point and it doesn’t necessarily fit us, but we’re to be married, probably sooner rather than later. You need to trust me. You need to trust that I love you, that I care for you, that I will always be at your side.”

“I know that.” Draco replied, “I was so scared. I was scared that He would hurt you. He threatened to and I wanted nothing more than to go back to the School and take you away to somewhere safe. I don’t know what I would do with myself if my failure resulted in you getting killed or worse.”

Hermione looked up at Draco as they came to a stop, giving him a gentle kiss, “I forgive you. Just, please, don’t shut me out again. And, I swear to Merlin, that if you ever disregard my place in your life again, you will be sorry.”

Draco laughed, eyes lighting up, “You have my word, Lady Malfoy.”

“Lady Malfoy?” Hermione’s eyes widened in confusion.

“We need to get you used to the title,” Draco smiled affectionately down at her, “you are, after all, going to be my wife.”

Hermione smiled brightly up at him, kissing him once more before they headed back to the house.

“That time seems to be coming sooner rather than later.” Theo muttered, walking over to the young pair. Taking Hermione’s hand, he said, “The Dark Lord wants you two married now. He’s named your child his heir.”

“What?” Hermione demanded, eyes wide and scared.

“You’re to be married within the week.” Theo replied, “Narcissa tried to intervene, but He waved her off. You’re to marry, conceive, and raise your child to be His heir. I’ve been told to fetch you, sister.”

Hermione glanced at Draco, knowing that this was the first he had heard of this from the storm brewing in his eyes, and let Theo lead her into the manor. Only after they were secluded in the room that had been Hermione’s for years did she cry. She cried for Draco, she cried for herself, and she cried for her future child, and Theo tried to comfort her as much as he could, laying down next to his twin and holding her tightly as every emotion she had felt since Dumbledore’s death seemed to crash over her like tidal waves until she passed out. Theo pressed a kiss to her temple and only allowed himself to drift off to sleep when he was positive that his sister was not going to wake up anytime soon.


End file.
